Cliche Soiree
by Tang Si Ming-Yue
Summary: A series of oneshots based on classic Kataang cliches - but in a better and newer light!


A/N: Hey guys, remember me? Probably not… I've been gone for so long! But I'm back and I really wanna get to work – I've missed writing for y'all! And hopefully you all don't hate me…

**I'VE GOT A TUMBLR!**  
I'll be updating on stories and such there, things like that. Check it out and follow me! See my profile for the link! There I explain where I've been and more about me getting back into things, so definitely go look at it!

I said on my tumblr that finishing the final installment of Sokka's Diary would be my first priority, but… I couldn't help it. Sorryyyy… I love the ol' Kataang clichés – _or at least the idea of them_. Most are written so poorly that people shun the whole concept of it. I like writing the clichés, not because I can't think of something original but because I want to see good clichés out there – they're fun to read, don't deny it! – so I feel as if there needs to be a good source for readers to see that dumb little plot you see everywhere and want to read about without having to go through terrible fics. Of course, I'll be putting my own twists on them – otherwise that'd just be boring and awful and then what kind of writer would I be?

**TODAY'S CLICHÉ: **It's been done time and time again: Katara is kidnapped in order to get to Aang. So let's explore that plot today!

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN AVATAR.

Sokka: Darn right!

Me: Sokka! I've missed ya, buddy!

Sokka: SCREW YOU, YOU LEFT ME.

Me: …

**Cliché Soiree: Kidnapping Katara (Part 1)**

**Too Long**

_For too long, he had gazed at her in secret, hoping that one day she'd notice. For too long, he spoke to her, restraining every urge within that said to spill to her everything his heart had held since the day they first met. For too long, he lingered when they touched, knowing he shouldn't but unwilling to leave her lovely warmth and the soothing smell that wafted to his nose as he held her. For too long, he was afraid, too afraid to do anything more than wait for the day when maybe she would approach him, telling him once and for all that they really do belong together._

_For too long, he had waited._

o-o-o

"Katara!" Aang called.

Katara turned to him, smiling as she saw it was the avatar himself. "Hey, Aang!" she waved with her free hand, a basket of produce held in her other arm. Aang grinned as he jogged over to her. He had been looking for the 19-year old girl – or woman, he thought, taking a moment to appreciate her curves before blushing and shaking the thought away – all over town. Sokka was waiting for them both on Appa in the forest near the village, and they needed to get going soon before he threw a fit.

Ever since the war had ended, the three teens had been travelling the globe, promoting peace and preventing riots in the aftermath of the war. Toph had been with them for quite a while, but when she turned 16, she opted for following her own passion and opened a school to teach metalbending. Zuko was, of course, running the Fire Nation, and with more compassion than the land was used to. That left Katara, Sokka, and Aang to roam the world to fix the aftermath of a terrible war.

Aang was of course obliged to do this – he was the Avatar, after all. And though he insisted on Katara staying with her family and tribe, whom she had not seen in a very long time, she had persisted in staying with him. And because of that reason ("and that reason alone," Sokka always added whenever he complained about being away from home for too long), Sokka was there to help as well.

Now, though, after five long years, things seemed to be slowing down in terms of resistance. It had been a couple of months since the gang had heard of any kind of rebellion against the peace, and Aang hoped that maybe someday he could stop working… at least for a little bit.

"I've been looking for you everywhere!" Aang exclaimed, finally reaching Katara where she was standing by a cart full of mangoes and peaches. As he got there, Aang held out his hands for the groceries she held. "Here, let me get those," he said, taking it from her without waiting for a response.

Katara laughed. "Thanks, but I could've gotten it, you know."

"You always say that," Aang responded, "but then you fill this basket up to the brim and I have to watch you practically limp over to Appa with it all."

Katara lightly shoved him. "Don't be so dramatic – it's not _that_ bad!" Placing another couple of peaches into the basket before reaching into her pouch and paying the merchant, she said, "Besides, with Sokka around, I've gotta get enough to feed you and me too, don't I?"

Aang felt himself blushing again as the phrase _you and me_ resonated in his head. He nodded at Katara's statement, but found himself thinking about how much he wanted there to be a _you and me_ between the two of them. He'd been so in love with her, ever since he'd first laid eyes on her, and after the war, he still couldn't bring himself to tell her so. He'd had so many opportunities. He'd wished that all those years ago, he had kissed Katara as they stood alone on Iroh's balcony overlooking the now-peaceful city, but he was too afraid. It seemed he was always afraid. Too afraid that if he told her what he really thought, she might leave Aang once and for all... after all, the war was over. She didn't have a reason to stay with Aang anymore, and for all he knew, she could pick up and leave him at the drop of a hat.

"Come on," Katara said, interrupting his thoughts, "let's keep shopping, there's still some more things we need to buy. Sokka will go berserk if I don't get him that jerky he wanted."

She began to walk down the street, and Aang stayed with her in stride, past the many carts of merchandise paving the road. "I've been looking for you everywhere, you know," Aang told her as the strolled. "Sokka's been ready to go for half an hour, but refused to come and find you himself."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Forget him. If he wants to eat, he can wait a little while. If he had just a little more of your patience, I'd be a much happier camper." Aang nodded, but inwardly cursed his patience, the reason for his unrequited love.

"I'm not sure why he wants to leave so quickly anyways," Katara went on. "We haven't heard a single thing about the anti-peace rebellion in the past few months. There's not really a sense of urgency anymore."

"Yeah," Aang said, "but Sokka was telling me earlier that he thinks the reason it's been so quiet lately is because the rebellion is taking their time. Coming up with something big, you know? He thinks they'll be releasing some huge attack or something any day now."

Katara bit her lip as she stopped to look at some cabbages. Picking one up and examining it, she said, "That's a little plausible I guess, but also a little ridiculous. A large-scale attack? On who, or where? I mean, besides Ba Sing Se, there's nowhere to target here in the Earth Kingdom, and we know they won't attack there since they're not nearly big enough for that. And they won't attack the Fire Nation, their homeland, or the Water Tribes which are too united of a front to effectively take down." She shook her head and put the cabbage back in its place on the cart. She looked at Aang. "It just doesn't seem reasonable."

Aang shrugged. She had a point. But on the other hand, he had been thinking… "Maybe, but what if they _are_ planning something? What if they're targeting something besides a city, like a person? The Council of Five aren't in Ba Sing Se right now, they're travelling the Earth Kingdom, making sure everything's in order. It's possible the rebellion could go after them. It would definitely put a halt in peace promotion. They could even go after Iroh! Or Toph! Or Suki or Zuko or Haru or Ty Lee, they're all possible targets – anyone helping us with the peace could be! And if we don't find out what they're up to and I'm not there to help –"

Katara placed a soothing hand on Aang's shoulder. He hadn't even realized he was getting a little hysterical. "Aang, it's okay," she said, stroking his arm. "I'm sure that things really are just dying down some now, so let's not worry about it too much. But if it makes you feel better, we could stop by Gaoling next to see how Toph is doing. We can make sure she knows what's going on, visit for a bit, and I think one of the Council of Five is in Gaoling now, right?"

Aang gave a small sigh of relief. "Yeah, that's right. We can start there. Thanks, Katara."

She smiled at him. His heart melted. Oh man, why wasn't he with her already…?

Aang heard Katara gasp suddenly. "Look!" she cried, pointing to a booth before jogging over to it. Aang walked curiously up behind her, looking at what seemed to be Water Tribe wares on display.

"Oh, wow, Aang, check out all this great stuff from home!" Katara exclaimed. She picked up a small bag of beads. "These are for pinning hair up…" She put them down and picked up a necklace. "And this is made from shark-whale teeth! Sokka's is almost just like this!"

Aang watched as Katara rummaged through all the items and bit his lip. "Katara… You miss home a lot, don't you?"

Katara slowed down in her searching. "Of course I do," she said as she smiled wistfully at a jar of smooth, blue stones.

Aang swallowed. "Then why… Why are you here with me? Why don't you go home? See your family?"

Katara paused. Aang was worried – did he offend her somehow? Or hurt her feelings? Or… maybe she didn't really want to be here. Aang couldn't stand it if that's what she said next.

"Aang…" Katara finally said, "My place is not with my family. I love them, but I've known ever since I found you that you were special, and our destinies are intertwined." She looked Aang in the eyes, her cheeks tinted a rosy pink, and his breath caught in his throat. "My place is here with you, Aang. I might miss home, but this is where I want to be."

Aang just stared in awe at her. Did she…? Was she…? Could she… could she possibly feel the way he did? "Katara, I…" he started, but didn't know what else to say.

Katara looked away from him, still a pink hue in her face, and slowly picked up the jar of stones. "These are for betrothal necklaces, did you know?" Aang nodded. He recognized it from the very necklace she was wearing. Katara looked at him and then back at the jar. "Betrothal necklaces are really only a Water Tribe custom. But there's no stone like this anywhere in either of the Poles, so when a man decides he loves a woman so much that he wants to be tied to her for eternity, he has to make the long trek all the way to the Earth Kingdom just to be able to propose to her, not to mention all the carving and crafting he has to do to make the necklace. The Earth Kingdom picked up on the custom many years ago and began to sell the stones in markets like this, but it used to be that the man had to go and find the stone somewhere in the earth all on his own. It was a symbol as to how much he was willing to go through for his love." She placed the jar on the counter once more and smiled sadly. "I can only hope a man will ever love me that much."

"Katara," Aang said before he could stop himself. He gazed into her eyes and told her before he lost his nerve, "I would go to the four corners of the earth for you. I'd give up being the Avatar if it made you happy. I'd give you the moon and the stars if it was what you wanted. I would… I would do _anything_ for you." Katara looked at him with watery eyes shining up at him, and he knew he could tell her. "Katara, I –"

Aang stopped suddenly, noticing the crowd of villagers eavesdropping on the famous Avatar's conversation. Katara noticed this too, and she blushed heavily. "Umm… Maybe we could finish this somewhere more private…?"

Aang grunted, irked at the blatant interruption. Katara noticed this though, and added, "But… I _really_ want to finish this…"

Aang was too happy and dumbfounded to even respond. Katara giggled a little. "I've got a couple more small things to buy. How about you take those back to Appa while I finish shopping, you can come find me again, and we can talk on the way back…?"

Aang was still in awe. "Uh. Yeah, perfect. I'll, uh… talk to you then?"

Katara grinned shyly and Aang did the same, then with a small wave, they were off in separate directions, Aang almost skipping down the path and Katara humming and old Water Tribe song.

o-o-o

Katara held the small bag of items in her hand as she began the path through the forest to where she knew Appa was. Her shopping didn't take as long as she had expected, so she had set off on the trail by herself, knowing that Aang was most likely on his way. This way they'd meet each other on the path. Katara smiled just thinking about it. The way he had spoken to her with so much… devotion. Passion. Love? Oh Spirits, it was breathtaking. She had always had feelings for him and for so long she had waited for him to say anything, _anything_ to show her that he might feel the same. And finally –

_Crack._

Katara heard a twig snap. She turned her head sharply to where she'd heard the noise come from but found nothing there. She gazed into the darkness of the forest behind her, waiting for something to appear, but nothing was there. Still cautious, though, she unconsciously reached for her water pouch –

_It wasn't there._

She panicked for a split second before hearing a deep voice say, "Looking for this?" She looked up in front of her and fell back in shock at the face directly in front of her, dropping her shopping bag in the process. A tall man stood there, looming over her, her water pouch dangling from his finger. He was dressed head to toe in black with red accents throughout and a symbol on his front of a panda lily set ablaze.

"The anti-peace rebellion," Katara muttered.

The man smirked. "We see it more as maintaining what is rightfully ours. But the Avatar's in our way, and you're going to be what gets him _out_ of the way."

Katara growled, lunging for her pouch, but the man quickly sidestepped her, letting her hit the ground with a thump. Katara rolled over to look at her attacker only to find that four more men had joined him. "Come now," he said mockingly, "You're outnumbered. Just come with us."

"If you think I'm going quietly, then you're crazy!" Katara shouted, leaping to her feet and taking a fighting stance. She quickly pulled water from the trees around her, but before she could even utilize it, she felt a hard hit to the back of her head. The water dropped around her as she fell to the ground. Her vision began to go blurry as she looked up from the dirt to see the five other men that had been behind her while she was focusing on the others.

"The Fire Nation will rise again," she heard faintly as she struggled to get off the ground, "once the Avatar is out of the picture."

"N-No," she muttered, trying desperately to clear her head and just get off the ground, but before she could, she noticed a foot come at her head and everything disappeared from view.

o-o-o

A/N: I felt this was a good stopping point. If I wrote the whole oneshot out in one go, it'd be _ridiculously_ long. More will come soon, and Sokka's Diary will be updated soon as well – don't worry!

**GOT AN IDEA FOR A KATAANG CLICHÉ? LET ME KNOW! **Drop a review and tell me about the clichés you want to see here!

**AGAIN, FOLLOW ME ON TUMBLR** for updates on my stuff as well as for a source of Kataang and Avatar goodness! See my profile for the link!

**AND AS ALWAYS, PLEASE REVIEW! I'll love ya forever!**

Later days,  
Tangy


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